Safety and signaling device for railroads.



1). Q. NEWTON. SAFETY AND SIGNALING DEVICE FQR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED 001?. 23, 1913. I 1,092383 PatentedApr. 7, 1914 0% M; p 3% a M I w H 14 Z/W. W

COLUMBM PLANOGIAPH co.,wAsmm1-ou, n. c.

IINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DIMOND C. NEWTON, OF OWEGO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MAX LINDEMAN, OF OWEGO, NEW YORK.

SAFETY AND SIGNALING DEVICE FOR RAILROADS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DIMOND C. NEWTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Owego, county of Tioga, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Safety and Signaling Device for Railroads, of which the following is a speci fication.

The invention is adapted for use in conjunction with railroad lines, whether operated by steam, electricity, or other power, and has for its object the attainment of twofold or dual results, one, that by the opera tion of the apparatus, notification is given to the engineer or motorman that his train is passing from one block to another of the line and that the track is clear through the block about to be entered, and the other, that in the event the track is not clear, the

apparatus will automatically and withoutany attention or act on the part of the engineer or motorman, apply the brakes so that the train will be brought to a stop. In this way, the apparatus automatically protects the train and the lives of the passengers, whether or not the engineer or motorman be neglectful of his duties, or perhaps be stricken with sudden illness, whereby he is rendered unable to perform his duties.

This present invention is an improvement upon that heretofore patented to mein and by United States Letters Patent, No. 1,07 3,510 dated September 16, 1913, in that the apparatus is materially simplified and its cost reduced. In this invention, as in that heretofore patented to me and above referred to, electrically operated appliances are carried by the locomotive, electric car, or other engine, which are brought into circuit and hence into operation by means of certain circuit closing devices upon the track and their counterpart devices carried by the locomotive or other engine, and these electrical appliances are so constructed that in the first instance an appropriate signal only is given to the engineer that a block is just about to be entered and that the track in it is clear, and, as a secondary operation, if the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 23, 1913.

Patented Apr. *7, 191a.

Serial No. 796,758.

track be not clear, then certain apparatus actuated in part by the same mechanism as that which operates the signaling apparatus, will be called into operation, with the result that the brakes will be automatically applled and the moving train brought to a stop without any act on the part of the engineer or motorman.

The drawing hereof illustrates diagrammatically the construction and method of operation of. the parts.

In the drawing, 1 represents an electric bell provided with suitable operating devices, preferably inclosed within a suitable casing 2.

3, 3' are conductors connecting the bell with suitably constructed shoes 4, 1.

5 is a sufficiently powerful magnet connected by conductors 6, 6 with the conductors 8, 3 as shown. When energized the magnet exerts its attractive force upon a lever 7 which is normally retracted by a spring 8. The lever, when drawn downwardly by the magnet, releases a locking pawl 9, which in turn releases a drum 10,

or its equivalent, whereby through appropriate apparatus and in a manner well understood, the brake shoes of the train are called into action.

11, 11 are set screws for the proper adjustment of the lever 7.

All of the parts thus far described are mounted upon or carried by the locomotive or other engine or machine.

12 and 13 are rails of the track which is 18 is a conductor connecting one end of the battery with the contact rail 15. 19 is another conductor connecting the other end of the battery with the track rail 13 in the next adjoining section.

20 is a suitable resistance coil provided with a conductor 21 which connects one end of it with the contact rail 16. 22 is another conductor which connects the other end of the resistance to the conductor 19 and 23 is another conductor which connects the resistance with the track rail 12 in the next adjoining section.

The operation is as follows: As the locomotive or other engine proceeds along the track in the direction indicated by the arrow, the contact shoes 1, & engage with the contact rails 15, 16, whereby, in a manner well ,understood, the battery circuit will be closed as follows: from the battery through conductor 19, through conductor 22, through the resistance 20, through conductor 21 to cont-act rail 16, to contact shoe 4, through conductor 3 to the bell, through conductor 8, shoe l, contact rail 15 and conductor 18 to the other pole of the battery. It will be noted that in this circuit the current passes through the resistance 20. Hence the power of the battery is reduced so that it is only sufficient to ring the bell and not to apply the brake mechanism. Thus the battery being located near the end of one of the insulated blocks of the railroad, the ringing of the bell will give notice that the train is just entering a new block, and also that all the apparatus involved in the system is in good working order, and if the ringing of the bell is the only thing that happens, then the engineer or 'motorman will know that the block just about to be entered is clear of" obstruction; if, on the other hand, there be another train, locomotive, or car stalled or in motion in the block about to be entered, then the circuit from the battery will be as follows: through conductor 19, track rail 13, through the wheels and axles of the train or other obstruction to track rail 12, through conductor 23, to conductor 21, to track rail 16, to contact shoe 4;, through conductor 3 to the bell, and, since the resistance 20 has now been cutout, rendering the full power of the battery available, the current will likewise pass through conductor 6 to magnet 5, whereby it will be energized and the lever 7 actuated, thus the automatic brake mechanism will be released and the brakes applied. The current passes thence from the other end of the magnet through conductor 6 to conductor 3 to contact shoe 4 to contact rail 15 and through conductor 18 backto the other end of the battery. Since the fullpowerof the battery is nowapplied, not only will the bell ring in the cab, but

also, as stated above, the brake mechanism will be released and the brakes automatically applied without any act-ion or thought on the part of the engineer or motorman and the oncoming train will be brought to a stop. It is probable that during this second or brake applying operation, some current will pass from the conductor 19 to conductor 22 to and through the resistance 20, but that will be incidental merely and have no effect upon the above stated operations of the parts.

The drawing is diagrammatical merely, the parts being somewhat separated in order that the illustration may be more easily and plainly noticed. In actual practice the battery may be located between the track rails, or by the side of the track or in any other preferred place and protected against the elements by a suitable housing of any kind and also to obviate the difficulties arising from ice, snow or other matter falling upon the contact rails 15, 16, which might interfere with the proper electrical contact between them and the shoes 4, 4' they may be protected with any suitable covering, the contact shoes 1, 4: being correspondingly constructed, all as is well known and practised in this art. It is not necessary to illustrate either of the above recited features.

It will be obvious to those who are familiar with such matters that the details of construction and method of arrangement of the parts may be very greatly modified without departing from the essentials of theinvention. I therefore do not limit myself to such details.

I claim:

1. Railway safety and signaling apparatus for block system roads embodying trackrails in each block insulated from those in the adjoining blocks, a battery and stationary contact devices for each block, each battery being directly connected with one of the stationary contact devices of one block and with one of the track-rails of an adjoining block, a conductor connecting the other contact device of each block with the other track-rail of the adjoining block, a resistance interposed between said conductor and the connection of the battery with the trackrail, and signaling devices, automatic brake mechanism and circuit-closing devices cooperating with said contact devices and carried by the engine, for the purposes set forth.

2. Railway safety and signaling apparatus for block system roads embodying trackrails in each block insulated from those in adjoining blocks, a battery and stationary contact devices for each block, each battery being directly connected with one of the stationary devices of one block andwith one of the track-rails of an adjoining block, a In testimony whereof I have signed my conductor connecting the other contact dename to this specification in the presence of vice of each block with the other track rail two subscribing witnesses.

of the adjoining block, and a resistance in- DIMOND C. NEWVTON. terposed between said conductor and the Witnesses:

connection of the battery with the track- FRANK BECK,

rail, for the purposes set forth. HARRIET E. DUNHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

